Julie
March 2026, Chain Theatre
Presented by Shall See Theater
Julie
After August Strindberg’s Miss Julie
Written by Dejing Eloise Wang
Directed by Dejing Eloise Wang and Topaz Gao
Presented by Zihe Tian
Scenic and Prop Design by Junran (Charlotte) Shi
Costume, Hair, and Make Up Design by Ziqi Zhang
Lighting Design by Zijun (Neil) Wang
Sound Design by Mikah Kota Carpio
Production Stage Manager Daisy C. Dai
With performances by Victoria Chen, John Jiang, Jirachaya Kiri.
August Strindberg’s Miss Julie is often read as a story of seduction and collapse. This affair between an aristocratic woman and a servant crossing a line for one night isn’t just a scandal, it’s an unflinching look at how class, gender, and survival instincts grind clash. Strindberg believed that Julie’s tragedy was inevitable. That who you are, where you come from, and what’s in your blood would always win.
We’re not so sure anymore. So we asked different questions:
What does class look like now?
Who holds power today?
And what invisible rules are still quietly deciding who gets to rise and who doesn’t?
In our version, Julie becomes a modern figure: the daughter of a famous film producer. The nepo baby catches herself between inherited privilege and relentless self-doubt under the influence of her new man, Jean. And Kristine, once silent in the shadows, now steps into the light. Controlled and clear-headed, she is no longer a footnote in this story. Kristine, Julie, and Jean portray a conversation about identity, survival, and how to define yourself in a world that claims to be open but remains stubbornly stratified.
Director’s Note
Julie's first concept was "what if Jean is a matcha-drinking, tote-carrying, clairo-listening performative male", but when I actually started writing, I kept circling back to "Why is Miss Julie relevant to the Asian community now?"
The answer is in New York’s Manhattan Chinatown. Young Asian American would casually sign a petition that protest against 24-hour work day while walk past construction sites of gentrified apartments carefree. Yet those luxury apartments are owned by Asian American entrepreneurs who donate to Asian American museums to celebrate our legacy while driving out local residents for more profitable real estate. The dichotomy between speech and action is engulfing the community.
In Julie's world, I want to ask her "how does it feel to get money from unethical millionaires to help the people that they've exploited?" I want to ask Jean "when you talk about equality, do you want equal rights for everyone or do you want the same opportunity for capitalistic exploitation?" Are we trying to eat the rich or become the rich? That's what I've been asking myself when I create Julie.
Photo Credits: Trixie Yifan